Purse liner, organizer and essential item transfer pouch

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a pouch that is insertable in a purse or handbag. The pouch is generally rectangular in shape, open at the top thereof, and has a plurality of inner pockets for storing and organizing items to be carried. The invention functions as a purse liner, purse organizer and as a pouch in which essential items stored therein may be transferred from one purse or hand bag to another. There are also a plurality of fabric loops, which are anchored to the inner walls of the pouch, and in which can be secured pens and lipstick canisters. One end of a key tether is secured within the pouch. The free end of the tether is coupled to a clip releasable with one hand that may be releasably attached to a key chain or key ring. The pouch is fabricated from breathable mesh, which is preferably a mesh made of woven polyester thread coated with vinyl.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to pouches and, more specifically, to an interior liner and organizer for use in combination with a purse. The liner/organizer may be transferred from one purse to another without disturbing its contents.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Purses, by their very nature, are designed to carry a large number of miscellaneous items, any of which may be needed at a particular time. For instance, a non-exhaustive list might include a checkbook, glasses, contact case, calling cards, pen, pills, lipstick, raincoat, tissues, charge cards, pictures, wallet, key rings, make-up, toothbrush, hair brush, hair spray, soap, chewing gum, candy and a folding umbrella, and cigarettes and a lighter or matches for the addicted. In purses composed of one or several large receptacle pockets, all these items form an unorganized conglomeration. In order to facilitate the location and recovery of particular items, it is preferable to incorporate a number of particularized compartments or pockets to allow for organization and separation of the items. However, the multiple compartments within the interior of a purse are not removable as a single carrying item. While some conventional handbags with special removable carrying compartments provide dual setting handbags appropriate for both formal and informal occasions, many require mechanical fixtures such as frame elements and bulky pouches which extend the entire length or volume of a purse or handbag.

It is also very common that different purses will be used by the owner for different occasions. For example, a fancy dinner party requires a different purse than a trip to the grocery store. In this case, the owner must individually remove all of the items from one purse and transfer them to the other. To alleviate this problem, there have been invented various purse inserts. These inserts allow for a one-step transfer of all items from one purse to the other by simply transferring the insert. These purse inserts vary in structure from a pocket having several vertical partitions to inserts that have numerous specialized pockets, snaps and flaps.

The following purse liners or inserts are typical of the prior art:

U.S. Pat. No. 2,428,682 issued to Rhodes discloses a transparent purse cover, a number of replaceable, decorative linings, and a pouch (FIG. 4) for contents. The linings are of different colors and thus can be changed for any occasion. The pouch contents need not be disturbed while the lining is changed. A major drawback is that the pouch is disclosed as useful only with a particular size and shape of lining and cover; there is no teaching of construction and use of the pouch with a wide variety of purses, packs, bags, etc. of most any size and shape.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,854 issued to Rosen discloses a readily replaceable, interchangeable lining for pocketbooks. The lining is cut so as to drape and fit within a handbag body. This type of deployment of the lining serves to relieve the lining from material stress and strain. Stitching is also performed in select areas to provide a semi-permanent lining attachment within the body. The transferable pouch of the present invention is not taught.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,671,487 issued to Hoek discloses a removable pouch for handbags comprising an open mouth pouch for retaining the entire contents of the handbag, and additional pockets within the pouch, one of which is zippered. The pouch is dimensioned to interfit entirely within the outer bag.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,033 issued to Tucker discloses an interchangeable purse insert of similar construction to that taught by Hoek, except the purse can be closed and is attached within a larger purse by Velcro, for example. It is designed to be transferred from purse to purse.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,769 issued to Phares discloses a purse insert movable from purse to purse, and having elastic material pockets about the outside of the insert. It is not attached to the purse in which it is inserted.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,254 issued to Fromm discloses a convertible handbag assembly comprising separable inner and outer members. The entire assembly may be converted into a variety of styles and configurations. The pouch is not removable.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,975 issued to Holden et al. discloses a number of carriers for receiving an interchangeable liner which encloses a plurality of articles. The liner is an insertable pouch which extends the interior length and/or volume of a purse, and has an elastic rim for expanding and contracting the pouch.

U.S. Design Patents issued to Kohn (Des. Pat. No. 334,661) and Briganti (Des. Pat. No. 408,146) disclose similar ornamental features directed to removable handbag pouches.

Other Patent documents such as those by Goad (GB 112,652) and Kopkin (GB 125,568) disclose handbag related features of general relevance to the transferable liner as herein described.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a pouch that is insertable in a purse or handbag. The pouch is generally rectangular in shape, open at the top thereof, and has a plurality of inner pockets for storing and organizing items to be carried. The invention functions as a purse liner, purse organizer and as a pouch in which essential items stored therein may be transferred from one purse or hand bag to another. There are also a plurality of fabric loops, which are anchored to the inner walls of the pouch, and in which can be secured pens and lipstick canisters. One end of a key tether is secured within the pouch. The free end of the tether is coupled to a clip releasable with one hand that may be releasably attached to a key chain or key ring. The pouch is fabricated from mesh fabric made of woven polyester thread coated with vinyl. For a preferred embodiment of the invention, a mesh having the trademark Phifertex, and produced by Phifer Wire Products, Inc. Is used. The use of mesh for the construction of the pouch allows it to be washed and dried within minutes. In addition, the smooth vinyl coating ensures that wear to the inner lining of the purse or hand bag will be minimized. An additional benefit is that most dirt and dust particles will pass through the mesh so that the pouch is always clean and so that contamination is not passed from one purse to another. The dirt and dust can be removed from the empty purse by simply inverting it, without having to empty the pouch.

The pouch of the present invention is designed to store essential items, such as credit cards, a driver's license, a checkbook, a pen, a wallet, lipstick, a cell phone, and a day planner. The invention thus facilitates the transfer of these essential items from one purse to another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing figures are meant to be only illustrative of the purse lining pouch. In no way are they intended to limit the scope of the invention as it may be hereinafter described and claimed.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the new purse liner/organizer/transfer pouch;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the new purse liner/organizer/transfer pouch; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the new purse liner/organizer/transfer pouch taken through line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawing figures.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the new purse liner/organizer/transfer pouch 100 is in the general shape of a three dimensional, rectangular container having a relatively short width in comparison to its height and length. The main body 101 of the pouch 100 is formed from a single sheet 102 of coated, woven, open-pore fabric that is doubled over itself to form a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart first and second major panels 102A and 102B, respectively, each of which is hemmed at the upper edges 103A and 103B. The opposed side edges of each pair of panels are turned in and sewn together in a common seam 104A and 104B, thereby forming a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart first and second end panels 105A and 105B, respectively. The turning-in and seaming operation creates a generally planar bottom panel 102C that is continuous with the major panels 102A and 102B. It will be noted that the second major panel 102B also includes a horizontally-oriented loop 106, which may be used for securing cylindrical objects, such as pens and lipstick canisters.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the interior of the pouch 100 is supplied with a plurality of pockets which are formed by sewing one or more panels to the inside of the major panels 102A and 102B. It will be noted that on the inside of the first major panel 102A, a first interior panel 107 has been sewn thereto. The second major panel 102B, on the other hand, has a pair of vertically staggered second and third interior panels 108 and 109, which have been sewn thereto. It will be noted that both the first and second interior panels 107 and 108 have been sewn to their associated major panels 102A and 102B, respectively, with a single central seam 110 and 111, so as to form a pair of adjacent interior pockets with each panel. Thus, a combination of the first major panel 102A, the first interior panel 107 and seam 110 form a pair of adjacent interior pockets 112L and 112R, while a combination of the second major panel 102B, the second interior panel 108, and seam 111 form a pair of adjacent interior pockets 113L and 113R. The third interior panel 108 forms a single pocket 114 that extends substantially the entire width of the second major panel 102B.

Still referring to FIG. 1, it will be noted that a key chain tether 115 is secured to one end of the pouch 100. One end of a key chain tether 115 is secured within the pouch 100, while the free end of the tether 115 is coupled to a clip 116 that is releasable with one hand. A key chain or key ring may be attached to the clip 116.

Referring now to FIG. 2, this top view of the new purse liner/organizer/transfer pouch 100 shows the various pockets and loops. It will be noted that a vertically-oriented loop 201 is affixed to an end panel (in this case end panel 105A).

Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that each of the internal pockets 112L, 112R, 113L, 113R and 114 extends substantially the entire distance to the bottom panel 102C.

The pouch is fabricated from mesh fabric made of woven polyester thread coated with flexible vinyl coating. The vinyl coating is polyvinyl chloride mixed with plasticizers to make it flexible and supple. For a preferred embodiment of the invention, a mesh marketed as Phifertex® Leisure Fabric, is used. Phifertex Leisure Fabric is manufactured by Phifer Wire Products, Inc. And 100% vinyl coated woven polyester. This fabric weighs approximately 11 oz. per square yard. The standard Phifertex mesh material is 50% open. It is commonly used for patio furniture, umbrellas, chase lounges, lawn chairs and many other applications where a durable, breathable vinyl fabric is needed. The use of mesh for the construction of the pouch allows it to be washed and dried within minutes. In addition, the smooth vinyl coating ensures that wear to the inner lining of the purse or hand bag will be minimized. An additional benefit is that most dirt and dust particles will pass through the mesh so that the pouch is always clean and so that contamination is not passed from one purse to another. The dirt and dust can be removed from the empty purse by simply inverting it, without having to empty the pouch.

Although only several embodiments of the protective coating are disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention. 

1. An organizer insertable within a purse or handbag, said organizer comprising a main body formed from a single sheet of polymer-coated, woven, open-pore fabric that is doubled over itself to form a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart first and second major panels interconnected by a bottom panel, said first and second major panels having two pair of opposed side edges, the opposed side edges of each pair being turned inwardly and sewn together at a common seam, thereby forming a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart first and second end panels.
 2. The organizer of claim 1, wherein said open-pore fabric is made of woven polyester thread coated with a flexible vinyl plastic.
 3. The organizer of claim 2, wherein said open-pore fabric is about 50 percent open.
 4. The organizer of claim 1, which further comprises at least one horizontally-oriented loop formed from the same open-pore fabric, which may be employed to secure cylindrical objects, such as pens, pencils, and lipstick canisters.
 5. The organizer of claim 1, which further comprises a key tether, a first end of which is secured within said main body.
 5. The organizer of claim 5, wherein a second end of said key tether said key tether is coupled to a clip releasable with one hand, said clip providing releasable attachment to key chains and key rings.
 6. The organizer of claim 1, which further comprises at least one pocket formed from the same open-pore fabric, said at least one pocket being sewn to a major panel within said main body.
 7. The organizer of claim 1, which further comprises at least one pair of overlapping pockets formed from the same open-pore fabric, said at least one pair of overlapping pockets being sewn to a major panel within said main body.
 8. An organizer insertable within a purse or handbag, said organizer comprising a main body formed from a single sheet of polymer-coated, woven, open-pore fabric that is doubled over itself to form a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart first and second major panels interconnected by a bottom panel, said first and second major panels having two pair of opposed side flaps, the opposed side flaps of each pair being turned inwardly, sewn to an outer edge of the bottom panel, and sewn together at a common seam, thereby forming a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart first and second end panels. 